Foodie reading

Few people write as well about French food as Bill Buford, few cook it better than the Lyon-born New York resident chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud. Buford's essays in Daniel: My French Cuisine are more than a document of his attempts to master traditional dishes with Boulud as his teacher: they're also a brief history of French food culture and the devotional intensity required to excel. There are accompanying recipes, but you might want to put in some practice first. Daniel: My French Cuisine (Sphere, RRP £35); Buy from the Guardian Bookshop for £27

Ramen bowls

Ramen has been one of the trends of the year, with London's Bone Daddies and OFM Award-winning Tonkotsu turning everyone into pork broth evangelists. The less luxuriant stocks of Wagamama are now consigned to memory. Discerning cooks keen to try ramen at home may want something attractive to serve it in. Traditional stoneware bowls are best. souschef.co.uk

Christmas for coffee lovers

If you haven't joined the so-called "third wave" of coffee, which demands obsessive precision at all stages of production, now's the time to catch up. Buy an Aeropress – a cheap, ingenious coffee-maker resembling a giant syringe – and a sleek Porlex hand grinder (both coffeehit.co.uk, £55 total). A training gift certificate from London coffee experts Prufrock – courses include "espresso theory" – would also go down well.coffeehit.co.uk; prufrockcoffee.com

Extraordinary kitchen knives

Most keen cooks dream of owning at least one beautiful knife. Hand-made blades from the Brooklyn Knife company are smart sharp and will last a lifetime with proper care.From $350, cutbrooklyn.com

Foodie courses

Treat them to one of many courses around the country. For aficionados of honey, the London Beekeepers' Association runs weekend courses in Clapham teaching the basics, from hive-making to husbandry. In Milton Keynes, Turan T Turan, a serving fireman, has been cold-smoking a wide variety of food for many years – his popular one-day courses cost £89. Other options include mushroom foraging at the River Café and cider-making at the School of Artisan Food in Nottingham.lbka.org.uk; coldsmoking.co.uk; rivercottage.net; schoolofartisanfood.org